HEADS WILL ROLL
A Medical Thriller
by Joanie Chevalier
by Joanie Chevalier
Publication Date: May 21, 2017
Genre: Medical Thriller/Horror
What if, in the near future, we could choose the body we wanted? We could visit a store front, much like a neighborhood mom-and-pop shop, and we’d see all the available bodies lined up in a glass-enclosed case. We’d be able to choose the body we wanted, purchase it, have an operation, and wham bam! wake up with our new body.
Dr. Farkis begins his head transplant operations in secret in Oakland, California and Tokyo, Japan. When news filters out about his revolutionary surgery, individuals from all walks of life come forward, desperate for a new body and an improved life that only Dr. Farkis can offer. We meet: Barry, so frantic for a new body, he stalks the doctor and bargains with a menacing ultimatum; Aiko, father of 19-year-old Kaneko, who demands that she undergo the operation to become more attractive to snag a husband; and finally, Baby, who finds out the hard way that demanding a new body may end up being fatal.
Choosing the perfect physique from a smorgasbord of available bodies may seem like a dream . . . until it becomes a nightmare.
“I’m saying that you can’t leave.” Farkis shrugged nonchalant. “Not now that you’ve heard about our little operation here. You see, once you have the surgery, we erase your memory of the pre-consultation. Instead, you’ll think you were on a fat farm for six weeks.” The doctor looked proud. He leaned in towards them. “That was my idea, by the way. The fake memory,” he whispered. “Clever, eh?”
“Of course,” he added, “you can leave after you recover from the operation, since you won’t remember anything. And if you see anyone with a faint scar around their neck in the future, because this is sure to catch on, you know, you’ll be conditioned to ignore it.”
Denny stopped pacing. “Is this a joke?” His eyes looked wild, like a caged animal’s.
“If it’s a joke, it’s not funny,” Baby added. Her voice trembled and she hiccupped.
“Oh, believe me. It’s not a joke.”
Farkis stood up from the desk and walked over to the wall adjacent the door. He pressed a fist-sized red button. The wall behind the chalkboard slid open. A cold blast of air swept into the room as if a freezer door had been left open.
“Follow me,” the doctor commanded. “I’ll show you the available bodies. You can choose the one you like.” He grinned, directing his comment to Baby.
“Well, as long as I don’t have any long-lasting scars…” Baby commented in a soft, distant voice.
The crazy doctor then turned to Denny. “Of course, I’ll need a $1.2 million deposit from you, dear Mr. Denny. Don’t worry,” he added when he noticed Denny’s face became flushed with astonishment. “Baby’s already given me a few of your account details…”
Before Denny could protest and insist that the doctor show them out ASAP, they’d stepped inside the cold room. That’s when he saw frozen, naked bodies stacked up on a Ferris wheel-like contraption. Denny promptly fainted.
Baby stepped over him and followed the doctor. She couldn’t wait to pick out her new body.
One Day Only - March 7
Joanie Chevalier works full-time in beautiful San Francisco as a legal assistant. She also freelances as a content editor for indie authors. She loves camping in her teardrop trailer and she thinks her two Chihuahuas are adorable.
Her writing is a blend of everything she likes to read: Suspense, horror, crime, psychological, non-fiction, and a good short story. She's had several of her shorts in anthologies and she's always on the lookout for more ideas.
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